On Sunday, an estimated 125,000 LGBT-rights advocates gathered in Paris to show support for a marriage-equality measure coming up for debate in parliament on Monday. They were joined by Bertrand Delanoë, the openly gay mayor of Paris, HRC’s Brian Ellner and First Lady Valerie Trierweiler.

French President Francois Hollande has promised to bring same-sex marriage and adoption rights to the country, sparking demonstrations on both sides: Earlier this month, hundreds of thousands of anti-equality activists amassed at the Eiffel Tower.

Nicolas Gougain of the group Inter-LGBT described those protestors as being “largely driven by fear and doubt—something which the opposition is good at aggravating.”

Public demonstrations notwithstanding, actual support for marriage and adoption equality is at an all-time high in France: A recent poll reveals 63% of citizens support giving equal status to gay couples. (Adoption rights lag a little, with 49% approving.)